A red card that was condemned by many but was still justly brandished.

A comeback from beyond thefootballing grave as Paul Scholes played the last half-hour, eight months after hanging up his boots. Inches away from one being completed on the pitch too.

Yet when the heat and dust cleared, the holders were out, United were through, Wayne Rooney was the match-winner. Rumours of their death remain exaggerated.

City’s response to adversity may have given them a cause for the rest of the season but already missing the fulcrum of their side with Yaya Toure out in Africa, now Vincent Kompany faces a four-match ban.

And for all they nearly pulled it off, despite being three down at the break and playing with 10 men for 78 minutes, United were in the fifth round.

They deserved to be, too. Even if the defensive frailties that give Sir Alex Ferguson palpitations were exposed again, the fault-line that could prove fatal by the end of the campaign.

Last night, though, those United fans who left singing Rooney’s name again, the ones who had mockingly chanted “City are back” in the first half and performed their own version of the Poznan, did not care about the long-term.

Not after two straight defeats, either. It was about revenge for Old Trafford, payback for that 6-1 humiliation.

And, in truth, one that looked as if it was going to be paid back in full, or more, for 45 minutes.

City, all effort and energy, started more brightly, only for Roberto Mancini and his men to be cut to pieces by a devastating counter-attack, led by the man whose protestations of loyalty will still not convince everyone.

Rooney received from Ryan Giggs, spread right to Antonio Valencia and sprinted to the penalty spot, virtually pushing Nani out of the way as he soared to crashed home a header off the underside of the bar.

The celebrations looked pre-planned rather than spontaneous, ostentatious badge-kissing as he wheeled away, repeated for the television close-up.

Yet far from the highlight, it was just the start. Within four minutes, City fans were demanding vengeance for Kompany’s dismissal, anger growing as Rooney had offered two fingers of advice to ref Chris Foy, representing the number of feet with which the Belgian jumped in to win the ball off Nani.

Kompany did not touch the Portuguese winger and five years ago it might not have been a free-kick.

But it is not five years ago. It is now. Kompany left the ground, uncontrolled. It was, by the instructions all referees are under, a red card.

City almost responded instantly, Anders Lindegaard at full stretch to turn Sergio Aguero’s curler behind but by the break it was looking like a massacre, Mancini’s men at sixes and sevens – and looking like they might concede eight.

Danny Welbeck’s brilliant instinctive reaction when Patrice Evra’s cross flicked off both the striker and Samir Nasri, was astonishing and when Aleksandar Kolarov downed the England youngster Rooney converted the rebound after Costel Pantilimon saved his spot-kick.

Welbeck was a fraction off a fourth and even when Kolarov, lucky not to concede another penalty for a clear foul on Valencia, pulled one back with a stunning free-kick, it appeared mere consolation.

Fergie clearly thought so too, sending on Scholes – last spotted saying farewell against Barcelona at Wembley in May but registered on Friday – for the most unexpected return in years.

Ring-rusty, Scholes gave the ball away for James Milner to set up Aguero to score at the second attempt and Foy could well have given another spot-kick when Kolarov’s low cross bounced off Phil Jones’ knee and on to his arm.

At the death, with Owen Hargreaves adding to the back to the future feel, the shaky Lindegaard got lucky from another Kolarov blaster while Pantilimon came up to head wide.

United had the victory. Everyone had witnessed something truly special.